Field of Buttercups
by Melodic.Melody
Summary: She was the ice to his raging fire. The calm before his inner storms. Everything about them screamed opposite of eachother. Even while walking in the same field of buttercups; oneshot - Zuko/Ty Lee


**Field of Buttercups**

Summary: She was the ice to his raging fire. The calm before his inner storms. Everything about them screamed opposite of eachother. Even while walking in the same field of buttercups. (Zuko x Ty Lee)(Oneshot)

Rating: K+

Genre: Romance/Friendship

Pairing: Zuko/Ty Lee

Setting: Day after the episode of "The Beach"

Disclaimer: No. I don't own Avatar. D:

_A/N_: Hello, thanks for taking your time and reading this. I find Ty Luko incredibly cute, unfortunately not that many people write of this couple. I thought I'd give it a shot. ;o Enjoy!

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**Field of Buttercups**

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They were always so different to eachother's eyes. He was a fire prince, she was a circus freak. Where he noticed humanity at it's lowest, she discovered shimmering auras from those people waiting to shine out. Where he saw death, she saw life. When he walked on feet, she wanted to walk on hands. Their world's were so different, but Ty Lee never realized just how this was until they were heading home from Ember Island.

The sun was beating down on them and they all could feel it sinking into the pores of their skin. Despite the fact that they all came from the Fire Nation, the heat was immense on their bodies and it seemed apparent for most of them. Azula's hair was matted onto her face, making her look like something out of the psycho ward. Zuko and Mai both looked like they were old people as they hunched over on their backs with their face looking down at the ground. Azula looked up at her comrades and growled deep within her throat.

"Ty Lee, how can you be skipping when I'm about to have my skin melted off?" The sight was indeed true, as Ty Lee was humming along, throwing up her legs in a skipping matter down the dirt road. The only one in the group who didn't seemed fazed be the ghastly amount of heat. She stopped and looked at her childhood friend innocently, and she shrugged her shoulders upright.

"Azula, the real question is why wouldn't I be?" All of her three partners behind her nearly groaned at her response. Ty Lee, the most oblivious one out of their group it seemed.

"We're almost about ready to pass out from this disgusting place; something's wrong with you circus freak," this time it was Zuko's low voice that spoke to the girl. Ty Lee merely just giggled at his comment, taking no offense to his nickname she had received from the beach the night before.

"Well, it's a marvelous place, how can you not be happy by just looking at this scene?" was her reply to them all. It was indeed an extraordinary piece of mother nature's work, but the others couldn't see it. They didn't have Ty Lee's eyes; to see beyond the thermal extremities to pinpoint beauty. Ty Lee never expected them too, and she was correct in her thoughts. Zuko only eye rolled at her comment.

_Where he was pessimistic, she was optimistic._

Minutes past before anyone spoke. Ty Lee stopped her childish skipping and replaced it with a walk, but her light humming was still in effect. No one seemed to care; they were all too overheated to scold her anymore. Zuko was leaning against Mai while she put her weight onto Azula as the three of them created a team effort to help them keep upright. Ty Lee was the only one who seemed to delight herself basking in the sun while managing to hold a cheery smile that lit her face. The others never followed suit; much less tried. Zuko finally gasped out from dehydration.

"The sun's killing us. We're pratically burnt meat in it. Why did we decide to leave Ember Island today?" His voice was cracking from the lack of water he possessed in his body. Azula and Mai nodded in unison, but Ty Lee stopped her humming for a moment to call back to - what seemed like - her fallen allies.

"Oh don't worry Zuko, I'm sure we'll find somewhere to rest soon." Her smile was bright and hopeful as usual, as it seemed to become her infamous facial expression . You could always count on her to wear it wherever she went.

_When he felt hopeless, she discovered faith._

Finally, it was Azula who thought she saw a blue area that was reflecting brightly to her eyes from the sun's rays. Her voice pitched different heights and cracked as she pointed to the spot that was ahead of them. "W-water! Finally!" They all pulled together - with even Ty Lee dragging them - to head over to the spot. Azula's words rang true; it was indeed a little lake, surrounded by patches of flowers. It was the first form of true life as the flowers swayed as though in delight. Even Mai had to steady herself as she thought that this was all in their heads; a mirage if you would say. It was when Ty Lee was the first to splash them all with water as it went through their skin and felt the relief coarse their bodies that they knew it was real. They decided to take a rest there.

After being refreshed enough, Zuko stood under a tree that was near the lake. It was the perfect spot as it shaded him from the rays of the sun that he wanted to get away from. He stretched his arms before yawning as he carelessly plopped right down on the ground. He leaned against the tree, about ready to close his eyes until he felt something whiz past him and then a yell. "Zuko!" the high pitched voice stirred him, Zuko feeling his shoulders move around roughly. He opened his eyes to find Ty Lee crouched down, shaking him. He scowled. "What do you want, can't you see I'm a little busy?" Ty Lee huffed at his remark.

"Zuko, look where your current sitting place is at!" Zuko did as he was told, his eyes wandering around his body. Seeing nothing of importance to him, he shrugged. Ty Lee furrowed her eyebrows and her lips turned into a frown. "You're sitting on so many of those poor flowers! You should get off of them!" She pointed to - what was - a lily, but since being crushed by Zuko's weight, now was just a wilted mesh. Zuko smirked as he started to squirm, teasing the poor acrobat as he squashed the delicate plants more. "Zuko!" she almost cried out, trying to grip the prince to make him stop.

He smirked at her futile tries. "You're overreacting, they're just flowers." Ty Lee shook her head furiously.

"Nu uh, they're wonderful works of mother nature. You shouldn't treat them like that." Her reply made him laugh again. "What a waste of mother nature's energy then."

"It's worth it once you see the precious sight that they are," she told him quietly. Zuko only scoffed at the childish girl. She had too much time in her hands to think such things.

_Where he percieved plain, she realized beauty._

"You're so..._weird _circus freak," Zuko pointed out after a couple of minutes of eyeing her as she tried to find a place to sit next to him without hurting any of the flowers. At least _she_ would put forth effort to save them. Finally seated comfortably under the tree with him, Ty Lee giggled lightly at the boy's comment. "Haven't you pointed that out enough in my lifetime?"

"Perhaps." The answer made her laugh softly. She sat straight in front of Zuko; not that it bothered either of them. Ty Lee looked around where the tree's shade covered the ground and gasped lightly as she plucked a flower carefully from the ground. She twirled it around her fingers as her eyes danced around the color and shape of it. The girl looked straight at the boy in front of her, as Zuko raised his eyebrows. She grinned. "Do you know what type of flower this is?" He shook his head, speaking up. "No, but since I know you're going to do it anyways, please enlighten me on the subject." Yet again she giggled and she showed him the flower.

"It's a buttercup." The brightly yellow plant was held in her small hand. She brought it closer to her, looking at it warmly. "There's this old saying that if you place it under your chin..." Zuko raised his eyebrows as she leaned closer to him, putting the flower to the underside of his chin. He didn't move an inch, knowing that she would cause his ears to bleed if he didn't do what he was told to do. Ty Lee held it there for awhile. "...and if your skin shows up yellow," she continued to speak as she peered her eyes over where the buttercup was placed on Zuko's skin, "it means you're in love." She let the plant go away from Zuko and sat back, looking at him. "Your skin was paler than ever; I guess you're not in love." Zuko smirked at the girl, now fully knowing that the acrobat had too much free time. Having a flower decide your feelings? How absurd. Ty Le smiled, this time placing the flower under her chin, letting it touch her fair skin.

_Where he saw nothing -_

After some time, she released her hold on the buttercup, letting it fall softly to the ground. She already knew what the color of her chin was, even before Zuko told her. Even as they all went back to walking down the dirt road, away from the rest stop, the slightest shade of yellow captured the spot where she let the buttercup lay moments ago. The girl smiled straight at Zuko and continued to smile at him throughout the day.

_She found love_.

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**Fin**

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